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Muses and Pierides
Ovid's Metamorphoses relate the story of the contest between the muses (the daughters of Zeus, king of the gods) and the nine daughters of Pierus (king of Macedonia). Having haughtily challenged the goddesses to a musical contest, the Pierides predictably lost, and were transformed into birds as punishment. The tale provided the subject for Rosso's engraving, which depicts the goddesses at left and the daughters of Pierus at right. Filled with graceful nude bodies in a pastoral setting, this print is one of the largest Rosso produced with Caraglio. Its design became an extremely popular model for maiolica painters, especially in Urbino. |